A bishop who disputed Arius, pastor of Baucalis Church, over his doctrines concerning Christ's humanity and God-hood. Around A.D. 320 called a synod at Alexandria to confront Arianism.

[tags]Alexander-Bishop-of-Alexandria, Alexander, Alexandria, Arius, BlogRodent, church-history, ChurchRodent, history, Arianism[/tags]

Bishop of Alexandria. The first to introduce monasticism to the West. In 335, when he was banished to Trier (in modern Germany) he was accompanied by two monks. He wrote The Life of Saint Anthony and its circulation spread the idea in the West. In A.D. 367 he wrote an Easter letter containing a list of books he included in the N.T. canon. This list was accepted and authorized by the Hippo and Carthage councils. As an advisor to Bishop Alexander of Alexandria during the Nicean council in A.D.325, he first battled the Arian heresy. At 33, he succeeded Alexander as bishop of Alexandria and for the next 50 years waged a perpetual war against Arianism. During these decades Athanasius was banned 5 times and returned to Alexandria each time after a change in emperors, or a change in religious maneuvering in the palace.Finally, Athanasius and his supporters quenched the

A Creed developed in the Council called by Emperor Constantine in 325 largely in response to Arianism. From this council emerged the Nicene Creed, which to this day is the standard of orthodoxy in the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Anglican, and some other churches:

"I believe in one God the Father Almighty; Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.

"And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father; by whom all things were made; who, for us men and for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the virgin Mary, and was made man; and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate; he suffered and was buried;